#steel mclean

[sad-endings-suck]

Back to report that I have seen the first episode of the Fallout tv show on Amazon Prime and it fucking slaps. Along with this, The Last of Us (HBO), Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Arcane: League of Legends (obviously), and many more, we can now say for certain that we are in the un-official golden era of video game adaptations (at least if it stays the course *knock on wood*).

[krystalklear21]

Snog, marry, irradiate Fallout Prime edition

[badmovieihave]

Bad movie I have Vicious Fun 2020

[thefandomentals]

In Bo's latest Fallout review, things start to cook as Lucy discovers some terrible secrets, Maximus returns to the fold, and The Ghoul enjoys a succulent wasteland meal.

[fandomnerd9602]

It all started when she was wounded in a firefight with the Brotherhood of Steel. Lucy McLean couldn’t stop the bleeding, no matter how many stimpaks she injected.

You ran to your companions aid with your own loyal canine Dogmeat by your side. "dammit Lucy" you muttered as you shot another brotherhood member before trying to stop the bleeding.

"go" she tried to beg, "I'm just dead weight"

"not an option, vault dweller" you say back as you carry her in your arms to a nearby vertibird. Good old Dogmeat jumps into the copilot's seat as you pilot the aircraft.

“Where are we going?” Lucy asked rather weakly.

“Haven” you answered back.

You met Lucy rather recently. You were kind enough and caring compared to most people in the Wasteland. All she knew was that you were a fellow survivor and that you had recently left your home in search of supplies. You never told her where you were from.

Lucy woke up to a sound she never thought she’d ever hear: the gentle lull of the ocean. This vault dweller found herself in a small oceanside open aired bungalow. The walls were adorned with old posters with a magnificent view of a crystal blue ocean. The bed she found herself in was clean and pristine. Dogmeat was laying next to her bed, wagging his tail at seeing Lucy recovering nicely.

“Glad you’re feeling better“ you give a small smile from a nearby chair. “It was touch and go for awhile but I’m glad you’re doing well”

“I’m dead”

You chuckle, “no you’re not.”

“What is this place? I mean it’s perfect and untouched by-“

“It’s sort of a bubble” you explained. “Completely safe from the fallout”

A little parrot landed on a nearby branch. Lucy was absolutely floored. Life has found a way thrive on this spec of land. The whole island was rich with floral and fauna, an untapped paradise. The island itself was roughly the size of Maui.

“How did you find this place?” Lucy looks around in amazement.

“I grew up here.” You bring her a pic of your own parents. “I head out to gather supplies and my parents…they didn’t make it”

Lucy looked at you, like she was looking in a mirror. Someone who lost a lot and yet was willing to keep going. It wasn’t just about the supplies. She saw you out there, protecting the innocent, stopping the Brotherhood and raiders when lever you could.

“Must get lonely here” she found herself musing.

“You interested in a timeshare?” You asked back with a little smirk.

Lucy couldn’t help but laugh. Maybe she could set down roots here. With you. With Dogmeat. But the world needed the two of you. Because sadly like the old saying goes:

War. War never changes.

[justanothervaultie]

Timeline check:

Do we know when Hank McLean was thawed in the Series and when he became overseer?

It would help with guessing Lucys age.

Also the Ghoul was put inside a coffin for 30 years. If the timeline checks out he should have been put in a coffin about the time Hank McLean was thawed from his cryo coffin.

I love the Thriller / Frankenstein / Dracula parallels here.

Both Lucy and the Ghoul emerged from a hole in the ground - a steel and wooden coffin of their own making.

And Hank was yoinked out by the consequences of his cruelty to put into the light. I keep gushing more and more the more facts I scrape together.

[sabakos]

Later that summer, I contacted Iselin again to see if he would be willing to speak more about Fanon. He asked to meet at his farm outside Middleburg, Virginia. The town is only an hour’s drive beyond the glass-and-steel office buildings of the Dulles Corridor, but considering the history the landscape shares with American intelligence, it belongs to a different stratum of empire. After the CIA was formally founded in 1947, its directors wanted the agency’s operatives to live in towns with pastoral backdrops, such as McLean, Virginia. The idea, the historian Andrew Friedman writes, was that “[t]he seemingly natural privacy afforded by the suburbs lent itself to the secrecy beneficial to both the U.S. government and suburban life,” and the pristine residential life around them “became the symbol of a precarious good life that needed defending.”

Thomas Meaney, "Frantz Fanon and the CIA Man"

[genrebender]

Some Canonically Queer Characters:

Asexuals and/or Aromatic:

-Jon Sims - asexual biromantic (The Magnus Archives)

-Jay - aromatic & asexual (Supernatural Academy -in show not sure about books)

-Alastor - aroace (Hazbin Hotel)

-Caduseus Clay - aroace (Critical Role: Campaign two the Mighty Nein)

-Lilith Clawthorne - aroace (The Owl House)

-Artemis/Diana aroace (PJO)

-Hestia aroace (PJO)

-Athena/Minerva alloromantic & asexual (PJO)

-Reyna Ramírez-Arellano alloromatic & asexual (PJO)

Bisexual:

-Luz Noceda (The Owl House)

-Korra (The Legend of Korra)

-Asami Sato (The Legend of Korra)

-Millie (Helluva Boss)

-Moxxie (Helluva Boss)

-Loki (Marvel Comics and MCU)

-Loki (PJO/Magnus Chase books/Riordianverse)

-Tony Stark (Marvel Comics only)

-Logan/Wolverine (Comics non 161 universe)

-Jesper Fahey (Grishaverse/Six of Crows)

-Nina Zenik (Grishaverse/Six of Crows)

-Tommy Shepherd (Marvel Comics)

-David Alleyne (Marvel Comics)

-Hercules (Marvel Comics)

-Marvel Boy (Marvel Comics)

-Yizhi (Iron Widow)

-Shimin (Iron Widow)

-Zetain (Iron Widow)

-Mystique (Marvel Comics)

-Kate “Kitty” Pride (Marvel Comics)

-Harley Quinn (DC)

-Poison Ivy (DC)

-Catwoman (DC)

-Joker (DC)

-Tim Drake (DC)

-Wonder Woman (DC)

-Yuuri Katsuki (Yuri!!! On Ice)

-Bow (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)

-Glimmer (She-Ra)

-Mermista (She-Ra)

-Sea Hawk (She-Ra)

-Lonnie (She-Ra)

-Rogelio (She-Ra)

-Kyle (She-Ra)

-Entrapta (She-Ra)

-Tim Stoker (TMA)

-Georgie Barker (TMA)

-Vax’ildan (Crit Role: Campaign 1 Vox Machina/TLOVM)

-Vex’ahlia (Vox Machina/TLOVM)

-Allura (Vox Machina)

-Caleb Widowgast (Mighty Nein)

-Mollymauk/Lucien/Kingsley Tealeaf (Mighty Nein)

-Laerryn Coramar-Seelie (EXU Calamity)

-Juno Steel (The Penumbra Podcast)

-Star Lord (Marvel Comics)

-Apollo (PJO)

-Zeus/Jupiter (PJO)

-Poseidon/Neptune (PJO)

Demisexual:

-Keyleth (Vox Machina/TLOVM)

-Essek Theylss - demisexual & demiromantic (The Mighty Nein)

Pansexual:

-Deadpool (Marvel Comics and implied in movies)

-Blitzø (Helluva Boss)

-Rita (The Penumbra Podcast)

Lesbian:

-Adora (She-Ra)

-Catra (She-Ra)

-Perfuma (She-Ra)

-Scorpia (She-Ra)

-Netossa (She-Ra)

-Spinnerella (She-Ra)

-Kima of Vord (Vox Machina/TLOVM)

-Beauregard Lionett (The Mighty Nein)

-Yahsa Nydoorin (The Mighty Nein)

-Kara Brunehilde (Venture Maidens)

-Rem (Venture Maidens)

-Gidget (Venture Maidens)

-Hemithea (Riodianverse)

-Josephine (Riodianverse)

-Lavinia Asimov (Riodianverse)

Gay/Achillean:

-George (She-Ra)

-Lance (She-Ra)

-Double Trouble (She-Ra)

-Taryon Darrington (Vox Machina/TLOVM)

-Shaun Gilmore (Vox Machina/TLOVM)

-Orym (Critical Role: Campaign 3 Hell’s Bells)

-Teddy Altman (Marvel Comics)

-Billy Kaplan (Marvel Comics)

-Bobby Drake (Marvel Comics)

-Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel)

-Cecil Gershwin Palmer (WTNV)

-Carlos (Welcome to Night Vale)

-Nico di Angelo (PJO)

-Hyacinthus (PJO)

-Ganymede (PJO)

-Wylan Van Eck (Grishaverse)

Trans (M&F):

-Jewelstar (She-Ra)

-Perfuma (She-Ra)

-Khemdal Dust (The Mighty Nein)

-Terra (The Mighty Nein)

-Yussa Errenis (The Mighty Nein)

-Sipriotes (Riodianverse)

Nonbinary:

-Double Trouble (She-Ra)

-Jay (Supernatural Academy)

-Bryce Feelid (The Mighty Nein)

-Juno Steel (The Penumbra Podcast)

-Raine Whispers (TOH)

-Masha (TOH)

-Pottery Barn??? (Riodianverse)

-Mother William non-binary & two-spirit (Riordianverse)

Gender-fluid:

-Loki (Marvel Comics)

-Loki (Magnus Chase books)

-Mollymauk Tealeaf (The Might Nein)

-Bryce Feelid (The Mighty Nein)

-Alex Fierro (Magnus Chase books)

Not specified in cannon but generally queer:

-Amity Blight (TOH)

-Raine Whispers (TOH)

-Ed’s Clawthorne (TOH)

-Mara (She-Ra)

-Martin Blackwood MLM (TMA)

-Melanie King WLW (TMA)

-Victor Nikiforov (Yuri!!! On Ice)

-Scanlan Shorthalt (Vox Machina/TLOVM)

-Zahra Hydris (Vox Machina/TLOVM)

-Stolas (Helluva Boss)

-Eadwulf Grieve (The Mighty Nein)

-Zerxus Ilerez (EXU Calamity)

-Will Solace (PJO)

-Magnus Chase (Riodianverse)

-Piper McLean (PJO)

Polyamorous:

-Yizhi (Iron Widow)

-Li Shimin (Iron Widow)

-Wu Zetain (Iron Widow)

-Star Lord (Marvel Comics)

-Caleb Widowgast (The Mighty Nein)

-Astrid Becke (The Mighty Nein)

-Eadwulf Grieve (The Mighty Nein)

-Lonnie (She-Ra)

-Rogelio (She-Ra)

-Kyle (She-Ra)

[thewidowsghost]

Seeing the Beauty (Piper McLean x Fem!Reader) - Chapter 6

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

(Y/n)’s eyes snap open and she sits bolt upright. Her dream had felt so real, and yet, so distant and strange that it couldn’t possibly be true.

“Hey, you okay?” (Y/n) looks over to find Piper sitting by her bedside, her eyebrows furrowed with worry.

“What?” (Y/n) replies, drawing her knees up to her chest. “Yeah.”

Piper frowns, looking more worried.

“I -” (Y/n) bites her lip, trying to hold back her tears. From everything she’d heard about behind a half-blood, her dream was probably really true. Then she turns to study Piper. “Where’s Leo and Jason?”

“Leo’s with his cabinmates, and Jason is with Annabeth,” Piper replies.

(Y/n) nods distractedly before she meets Piper’s kaleidoscope gaze again, “Are you okay?” she asks. “You passed out.”

“Mhm,” Piper replies. “Rachel got possessed by Hera and gave me a death mission - free her from a prison.”

“You won’t have to do it alone,” (Y/n) replies, trying to comfort her friend, but her words seem to make Piper sadder.

Piper looks like she wants to say something, but she is interrupted by the sound of a conch horn.

“Dinner?” (Y/n) asks.

“You slept through it,” Piper replies. “I think it's time for the campfire.”

. . .

The whole campfire idea freaks Piper out. It makes her think of the huge purple bonfire in her dreams, and her father tied to a steak.

What Piper gets instead is almost as terrifying: a sing-along. The amphitheater steps are carved into the side of a hill, facing a stone-lined fire pit. Fifty or sixty kids fill the rows, clustered into groups under various banners.

(Y/n) spots Annabeth up front, next to Jason. Leo is nearby, sitting with a bunch of burly-looking campers under a steel gray banner emblazoned with a hammer. Standing in front of the fire, half a dozen campers with guitars and strange old-fashioned harps - lyres? - are jumping around, leading a song about pieces of armor, something about how their grandmothers got dressed for war. Everything is singing with them and making gestures for the pieces of armor and joking around.

This is quite possibly the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen, Piper thinks. This is totally one of those campfire songs that would’ve been embarrassing in daylight, but in the dark, with everybody participating, it’s kinda corny and fun. As the energy level gets higher, the flames do as well, turning from red to orange to gold.

Finally, the song ends with rowdy applause. A guy on a horse trots up; at least in the flickering light, Piper thinks the guy is on a horse, and then she realizes that he’s a centaur - a white stallion on the bottom half, and the top is a middle-aged buy with curly hair and a trimmed beard. He brandished a spear impaled with toasted marshmallows. “Very nice! And a special welcome to our new arrivals. I am Chiron, camp activities director, and I’m happy you have all arrived here alive and with most of your limbs attached. In a moment, I promise we’|l get to the s’mores, but first -”

“What about capture the flag?” somebody yells; grumbling breaks out among some kids in armor, sitting under a red banner with the emblem of a boar’s head.

“Yes,” the centaur says. “I know the Ares Cabin is anxious to return to the woods for our regular games.”

“And kill people!” one of them shouts.

“That might not be good for anybody’s health,” (Y/n) says, and she blinks with surprise to realize she’d spoken aloud, but then she laughs nervously while the other campers laugh at her joke.

(Y/n) glances over, meeting Piper’s gaze, smiling confusedly, and then she shrugs.

“However,” Chiron says, once everyone stops laughing, “until the dragon is brought under control, that won’t be possible. Cabin Nine, anything to report on that?”

Chiron turns to Leo’s group. Leo winks at Piper and shoots her with a finger gun. The girl next to him stands uncomfortably. She’s wearing an army jacket a lot like Leo’s, with her hair covered in a red bandanna. “We’re working on it.”

More grumbling.

“How, Nyssa?” an Ares kid demands.

“Really hard,” the girl replies. Nyssa sits down to a lot of yelling and complaining, which causes the fire to sputter chaotically. Chiron stamps his hoof against the fire pit stones - bang, bang, bang - and the campers fall silent.

“We will have to be patient,” Chiron says. “In the meantime, we have more pressing matters to discuss.”

“Percy?” someone asks. The fire dims even further, but Piper doesn’t need the mood flames to sense the crowd to sense the crowd’s anxiety.

Chiron gestures to Annabeth. She takes a deep breath and stands.

“I didn’t find Percy,” she announces. Her voice catches a little when she says his name. “He wasn’t at the Grand Canyon like I thought. But we’re not giving up. We’ve got teams everywhere. Grover, Tyson, Nico, the Hunters of Artemis - everyone’s out looking. We will find him. Chiron’s talking about something different. A new quest.”

“It’s the Great Prophecy, isn’t it?” a girl calls out.

Everyone turns. The voice had come from a group in back, sitting under a rose-colored banner with a dove emblem. They’d been chatting among themselves and not paying much attention until their leader stood up: Drew.

Everyone else looks surprised. Apparently Drew didn’t address the crowd very often.

“Drew?” Annabeth replies. “What do you mean?”

“Well, come on.” Drew spreads her hands like the truth was obvious. “Olympus is closed. Both Percy and (Y/n) disappeared. Hera sends you a vision and you come back with three new demigods in one day and (Y/n). I mean, something weird is going on. The Great Prophecy has started, right?”

Piper whispers to Rachel, “What’s she talking about - the Great Prophecy?”

Then Piper realizes that everyone else is looking at Rachel, too.

“Well?” Drew calls down. “You’re the oracle. Has it started or not?”

(Y/n)’s eyes glaze over.

Nico runs in from the street, and his face tells (Y/n) that something is wrong.

“It’s Rachel,” he says. “I just ran into her down on 32nd Street.”

Annabeth frowns. “What’s she done this time?”

"It's where she's gone," Nico replies. "I told her she would die if she tried, but she insisted. She just took Blackjack and -"

“Die?” (Y/n) echoes. “She took Blackjack?”

Nico nods. "She's heading to Half-Blood Hill. She said she had to get to camp."

. . .

“What was she thinking?” Annabeth says as they run for the river. Unfortunately, (Y/n) has a pretty good idea, and it fills her with dread.

The traffic is terrible. Everyone is out on the streets, gawking at the war zone damage. Police sirens wail on every block. There was no possibility of catching a cab, and the pegasi had flown away. (Y/n) would've settled for some Party Ponies, but they had disappeared along with most of the root beer in Midtown. So they run, pushing through mobs of dazed mortals that clog the sidewalks.

“She’ll never get through the defenses,” Annabeth says. “Peleus will eat her.”

(Y/n) hadn’t considered that. The Mist wouldn’t fool her girlfriend like it would most people. She’d be able to find Camp no problem, but (Y/n) had been hoping that the magical barriers would just keep Rachel out - like a forcefield. It hadn’t occurred to her that the dragon might eat her.

“We have to hurry,” Percy says, catching the worried look on his twin sister’s face. “I don’t suppose you could conjure up some skeleton horses.”

The Son of Hades wheezes as he runs. “So tired . . . couldn’t summon a dog bone.”

Finally, the demigods scramble over the embankment to the shore, and (Y/n) lets out a loud whistle, but she hates doing it. Even with the sand dollar she and Percy had given the East River for a magical cleaning, the water here is still polluted. (Y/n) didn’t want to make any sea animals sick, but they came to her call.

Four wake lines appear in the gray water, and a pod of hippocampi break the surface. They whinny unhappily, shaking the river muck from their manes. They are beautiful creatures, with multicolored fish tails, and the heads and forelegs of white stallions. The hippocampus in front is much bigger than the others - a ride fit for a Cyclops.

"Rainbow!" I called. "How's it going, buddy?"

He neighs a complaint.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," (Y/n) replies. "But it's an emergency. We need to get to camp."

He snorts.

"Tyson?" Percy says. "Tyson is fine! I'm sorry he's not here. He's a big general now in the Cyclops

Army."

"NEEEEIGGGGH!"

"Yeah, I'm sure he'll still bring you apples. Now, about that ride . . ."

In no time, Annabeth, Nico, Percy and (Y/n) are zipping up the East River faster than jet skis. They speed under the Throgs Neck Bridge and head for Long Island Sound.

. . .

It seems like forever to (Y/n) until they see the beach at camp. The demigods thank the hippocampi and wade ashore, only to find Argus waiting for them. He is standing in the sand with his arms crossed, his hundred eyes glaring at them.

“Is she here?” (Y/n) asks, worried for her girlfriend’s safety. Argus nods grimly.

“Is everything okay?” Annabeth says; Argus shakes his head.

The four demigods follow Argus up the trail. It’s surreal being back at camp. Nothing’s burning. No wounded fighters, (Y/n) thinks. The cabins are bright in the sunlight, and the fields glitter with dew. But the camp is empty.

Up at the Big House, the demigods notice something is obviously wrong. Green light is shooting out all the windows, just as (Y/n) had seen in her dream about May Castellan. Mist - the magical kind - swirls around the yard. Chiron lies on a horse-sized stretcher by the volleyball pit, a bunch of satyrs standing around him.

Blackjack canters nervously in the grass. Don’t blame me, boss! The pegasus pleads when he sees (Y/n). Your girl made me do it!

Rachel Elizabeth Dare stands at the bottom of the porch stairs. Her arms are raised, like she is waiting for someone inside the house to throw her a ball.

“What’s she doing?” Annabeth demands. “How did she get past the barriers?”

"She flew," one of the satyrs says, looking accusingly at Blackjack. "Right past the dragon, right through the magic boundaries."

"Rachel!” (Y/n) calls, but the satyrs stop her when she tries to go any closer.

"(Y/n), don't," Chiron warns. He winces as he tries to move. His left arm is in a sling, his two back legs are in splints, and his head is wrapped in bandages. "You can't interrupt."

"I thought you explained things to her!"

"I did. And I invited her here."

(Y/n) stares at him in disbelief. "You said you'd never let anyone try again! You said —"

"I know what I said, (Y/n). But I was wrong. Rachel had a vision about the curse of Hades. She believes it may be lifted now. She convinced me she deserves a chance."

"And if the curse isn't lifted? If Hades hasn't gotten to that yet, she'll go crazy!"

The Mist swirls around Rachel. She shivers like she is going into shock.

"Hey!" (Y/n) shouts. "Stop!"

(Y/n) runs towards her, ignoring the satyrs. She gets within ten feet and hits something like an invisible beach ball; bounces back and lands in the grass.

Rachel opens her eyes and turns. She looks like she was sleepwalking — like she could see (Y/n), but only in a dream.

"It's all right." Her voice sounds far away. "This is why I've come."

"You'll be destroyed!"

She shakes her head. "This is where I belong, (Y/n). I finally understand why."

It sounded too much like what May Castellan had said. I have to stop her, but (Y/n) can’t even get to her feet.

The house rumbles. The door flies open and green light pours out. (Y/n) recognizes the warm musty smell of snakes.

Mist curls into a hundred smoky serpents, slithering up the porch columns, curling around the house.

And then the Oracle appears in the doorway.

The withered mummy shuffles forward in her rainbow dress. She looks even worse than usual, her hair was falling out in clumps, and leathery skin was cracking like the seat of a worn-out bus. Her glassy eyes stare blankly into space, but (Y/n) gets the creepiest feeling she was being drawn straight towards Rachel.

Rachel holds out her arms. She doesn’t look scared. "You've waited too long," Rachel says. "But I'm here now."

The sun blazes more brightly. A man appears above the porch, floating in the air — a blond dude in a white toga, with sunglasses and a cocky smile.

"Apollo," (Y/n) murmurs.

He winks at her but holds up his finger to his lips.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare," he says. "You have the gift of prophecy. But it is also a curse. Are you sure you want this?"

Rachel nods. "It's my destiny."

"Do you accept the risks?"

"I do."

"Then proceed," the god says.

Rachel closes her eyes. "I accept this role. I pledge myself to Apollo, God of Oracles. I open my eyes to the future and embrace the past. I accept the spirit of Delphi, Voice of the Gods, Speaker of Riddles, Seer of Fate."

(Y/n) doesn’t know where she is getting the words, but they flow out of her as the Mist thickens. A green column of smoke, like a huge python, uncoils from the mummy's mouth and slithers down the stairs, curling affectionately around Rachel's feet. The Oracle's mummy crumbles, falling away until it was nothing but a pile of dust in an old tie-dyed dress. Mist envelopes Rachel in a column.

For a moment (Y/n) can’t see her at all. Then the smoke clears.

Rachel collapses and curls into the fetal position. Annabeth, Nico, Percy, and (Y/n) rush forward, but Apollo says, "Stop! This is the most delicate part."

"What's going on?" (Y/n) demands. "What do you mean?"

Apollo studies Rachel with concern. "Either the spirit takes hold, or it doesn't."

"And if it doesn't?" Annabeth asks.

"Five syllables," Apollo replies, counting them on his fingers. "That would be real bad."

Despite Apollo's warning, (Y/n) runs forward and kneels over Rachel. The smell of the attic is gone. The Mist sinks into the ground and the green light fades. But Rachel is still pale. She is barely breathing.

Then her eyes flutter open. She focuses on (Y/n) with difficulty. "(Y/n)."

"Are you okay?"

She tries to sit up. “Ow,” she presses her hands to her temples.

“Rachel,” Nico says, “your life aura almost faded completely. I could see you dying.”

“I’m all right,” she murmurs in reply. “Please help me up. The visions – they’re a little disorienting.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” (Y/n) asks.

Apollo drifts down from the porch. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce the new Oracle of Delphi.”

“You’re kidding,” Annabeth says.

Rachel manages a weak smile. “It’s a little surprising to me too, but this is my fate. I saw it when I was in New York. I know why I was born with true sight. I was meant to become the Oracle.”

(Y/n) blinks. “You mean, you can tell the future now?”

“Not all the time,” she replies. “But there are visions, words in my mind. When someone asks me a question, I . . . Oh no –”

“It’s starting,” Apollo announces.

Rachel doubles over like someone had punched her. Then she stands straight up and her eyes glow serpent green.

When she speaks, her voice sounds tripled – like three Rachels are talking at once:

(Y/n) snaps back to the present and says: “Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall –”

Jason shoots to his feet. His eyes are wild, like he’d just been tasered.

Rachel seems caught off guard – but her friend’s outburst and Jason’s jump to his feet. “J-jason?” she says. “What’s –”

“Ut cum spiritu postrema sacramentum dejuremus, ” he chants. “Et hostes ornamenta addent ad ianuam necem.”

An uneasy silence settles on the group. Piper can see from their faces that several of them are trying to translate the lines. She can tell it’s Latin.

“An oath to keep with a final breath. And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.” (Y/n) finishes.

“You just . . .” Rachel glances between the two demigods, “finished the known part of the prophecy.”

“Known?” (Y/n) questions, and Rachel nods reluctantly.

“Last night, I had a vision, revealing the final lines of the prophecy. It went like this: Child of the Sea will accompany the Seven. And drop into endless darkness.”

(Y/n) meets her ex-girlfriend’s gaze and can tell from the look in her eyes that Rachel thought that that part of the prophecy was about her.

“We hoped that the prophecy wouldn’t be starting for a few years, but I fear it’s starting now. I can’t give you proof. It’s just a feeling. And like Drew said, some weird stuff is happening. The seven - plus the ‘Child of the Sea’ - whoever they are, have not been fathered yet. I have the feeling some of them are here tonight. Some are not.

The campers begin to stir and mutter, looking at each other nervously, until a drowsy voice in the crowd calls out, “I’m here! Oh . . . were you calling roll?”

“Go back to sleep, Clovis,” someone yells, and a lot of people laugh.

“Anyway,” Rachel continues, “we don’t know what the Great Prophecy means. We don’t know what challenge the demigods will face, but since the first Great Prophecy predicted the Titan War, we can guess the second Great Prophecy will predict something at least that bad.”

“Or worse,” Chiron murmurs. Maybe he didn’t mean for everyone to hear, but they did. The campfire immediately turns dark purple, just like Piper’s dream.

(Y/n), who had turned to murmur a question to Piper, sees the terrified look in the demigod’s eyes, and grabs her friend’s hand, squeezing it gently.

“What we do know,” Rachel says, getting the attention of the campers again, “is that the first phase has begun. A major problem has arisen, and we need a quest to solve it. Hera, the Queen of the Gods, has been taken.”

Shocked silence. Then fifty demigods start talking at once.

Chiron pounds his hoof again, but Rachel still has to wait before she can get their attention.

She tells the other demigods about the incident on the Grand Canyon skywalk – how Gleeson Hedge had sacrificed himself when the storm spirits attacked, and how the spirits had warned that it was only the beginning. They apparently served some great mistress who would destroy all demigods. Then she tells them about Piper passing out in Hera’s cabin. Piper tries to keep a calm expression, even when she notices Drew in the back row, pantomiming a faint, and her friends giggling. Finally, Rachel tells them about Jason’s vision in the Big House. The message Hera had delivered there was so similar that Piper gets a chill. The only difference: Hera had warned Piper not to betray her: Bow to his will, and their king shall rise, dooming us all. Hera knew about the giant’s threat. But if that was true, Piper wonders, why hadn’t she warned Jason, and exposed me as an enemy agent?

“Jason,” Rachel says. “Um . . . do you remember your last name?”

The blonde looks self-conscious, but he shakes his head.

“We’ll just call you Jason, then,” Rachel says. “It’s clear Hera herself has issued you a quest.” She pauses, as if giving Jason a chance to protest his destiny. Everyone’s eyes are on him, yet he looks brave and determined, and (Y/n) admires the way he sets his jaw and nods. “You must save Hera to prevent a great evil,” Rachel continues. “Some sort of king from rising. For reasons we don’t yet understand, it must happen by the winter solstice, only four days from now.

“That’s the council day of the gods,” Annabeth says. “If the gods don’t already know Hera’s gone, they will definitely notice her absence by then. They’ll probably break out fighting, accusing each other of taking her. That’s what they usually do.”

The winter solstice,” Chiron speaks up, “is also the time of greatest darkness. The gods gather that day, as mortals always have, because there is strength in numbers. The solstice is a day when evil magic is strong. Ancient magic, older than the gods. It is a day when things . . . stir.”

The way he sounds it sounds absolutely sinister.

“Okay,” Annabeth says, glaring at the centaur. “Thank you, Captain Sunshine. Whatever’s going on, I agree with Rachel. Jason has been chosen to lead this quest, so –”

“Why hasn’t he been claimed?” somebody from the Ares cabin yells. “If he’s so important –”

“He has been claimed,” Chiron announces. “Long ago. Jason, give them a demonstration.”

Word Count: 3531 words

Taglist:

@camaddison​​

@steinfellds​​

@p-taryn-dactyl​​

@oculusalien​​

@@pink-widows

@unlikelysublimekryptonite

@yellowvxbes

@decadentrebelkitten

@eevil-empress

@anteroz

@mag-mfm

@26randomness

@cair-paravel-narnia

@hayhaythegaygay

[arianatheangel-girl]

Tulsa McLean...Babysitter?

(AN: This was inspired by @plasticfantasticl0ver and one of their anons. I really hope you like this! Warning: mentions of bodily functions. Tagging some of my favorite people: @kiankiwi @mooodyblue @loving-elvis @septembersghost @deke-rivers-1957)

***

Tulsa was beginning to wonder what he was so worried about in the first place.

The soldier had checked on his friend Rick’s baby a few times in the past few hours, and the kid was still sound asleep. Maybe this was easier than he thought.

But Tulsa was getting a bit hungry, so he figured there was no harm in making himself a sandwich; after all, Marla did say that he could help himself if need be.

The black-haired soldier whistled to himself a little as he fixed his sandwich, thinking this whole “babysitting” thing was actually pretty easy.

He was about to find out how wrong he was. Just as he went to take a bite of his sandwich, he heard the sound he’d been dreading; the baby was crying.

Immediately, Tulsa started to panic a bit, not really knowing what to do. He quickly got up, discarding his sandwich on the kid’s high chair for the moment before rushing towards the baby’s room. He just hoped whatever the problem was could be fixed easily; he had no clue how to deal with babies since he didn’t have much family and was an only child.

“Whoa, whoa whoa. Just, just be calm. Calm down; actually, that goes for both of us!” He told the baby, trying to make eye contact with the little guy. “Hey, don’t be scared. Don’t be scared!”

If the baby heard his words, he either didn’t understand him or wasn’t paying attention; the child just continued to wail, not liking that this weird-looking stranger was here instead of his mother or father like usual.

Tulsa kept trying to reassure the baby, though it was clear he had no idea how to talk to small children; it was as if he was speaking to an adult. “Hey, your ma and pa will be right back! They just went away to get married!”

No response from the baby except more wailing.

Okay, he thought to himself, this clearly isn’t working. So, he decided to try and mimic what he’d seen some of the German ladies do with their kids.

“I’m your ol’ Uncle Tulsa! Let’s play, huh? Here, look, look look!” He murmured, bending down and making a funny face to try and distract the baby.

Just as he bent down to get on the kid’s eye level, though, he noticed a horrible smell in the room. Confused, Tulsa sniffed around for a little bit, before realizing (to his horror) that the smell was coming from the baby.

That’s why it was crying: It needed to be changed. Well, that solved one mystery, but it also created another problem; Tulsa had never changed a diaper in his life, and didn’t really know what he was supposed to do.

But, well…women did it all the time, so how hard could it be?

“Oh…okay Tiger. I see what’s wrong. Okay, let’s uh…let’s get you cleaned up, huh?”

Inwardly panicking, Tulsa awkwardly lifted the baby from his crib, trying to find someplace to change the baby (not even noticing the changing table in the room since he was too focused on the baby), before eventually settling on the kitchen table since there was one or two diapers there that Marla hadn’t put away yet. 

Once he’d moved the food out of the way and laid the kid on the table, he carefully undid the kid’s sleeper and removed his clothes, before grimacing a bit and trying to steel himself for what had to be done.

“Okay” Tulsa mumbled to himself, scratching his chin for a minute. “Looks like we just…pull these sticky tabs on the sides apart…this shouldn’t be too hard. All right, I think I just pull this down and slide it off and…GACK!”

Tulsa immediately started coughing and gagging when he saw the big mess the baby had made all over itself, plugging his nose with one hand.

“Ugh! Tiger, what the heck has your mama been feedin’ ya, huh? Did..did you eat sauerkraut before bed or somethin’? How does a lil’ thing like you make such a huge mess?”

The baby just started giggling and kicking his legs, laughing at the disgusted faces Tulsa was making.

“Oh, so you think this is funny, do ya?” He mumbled, looking wildly around for some help; he did not want to touch that huge stinky mess with his bare hands.

Just then, his eyes landed on a pair of kitchen tongs. Perfect!

Grimacing, he used one hand to lift the baby’s ankles and used the tongs with his other hand to pull the dirty diaper out from under the baby and toss it into the open garbage can nearby, accidentally dropping the tongs in the garbage in the process. Oh well. He’d get them out later. Or not; maybe Rick could use a new pair of tongs anyway.

Okay, at least that part was done. Now he needed to clean the kid off. After thinking for a minute, he went to the kitchen sink and turned it on, before picking up the baby under his arms and holding him in the sink’s stream to try and wash off the mess. The baby seemed to find this whole thing amusing, and kept kicking his legs as Tulsa waited for the water to wash the mess away, splashing his uniform with the tap water several times.

“Ugh, come on, hold still you little rascal! I’m tryin’ to help ya here!” Tulsa grumbled, knowing the kid probably didn’t understand a word he was saying.

Once the kid’s lower half was clean, Tulsa grabbed one of the kitchen towels and wrapped it around the baby to dry him off. “Man, you babies have it made; I would kill for this kinda service!” Tulsa complained to himself.

Okay, now came the last part; putting the clean diaper on. Once he’d put the kid back on the table, Tulsa reached for the clean diaper and tried to slide it onto him as the kid kept squirming and rolling around while kicking his legs; it was as if he didn’t want it on.

“Come on Tiger, just hold still will ya!” Tulsa grumbled, trying to tape the garment onto him.

Then one of the tabs ripped off. Crap. Now what? He thought. He tried to tape it on anyway, but when he picked the baby up, the diaper slid right off.

Just then, the baby giggled and started to pee on him.

“ACK!” Tulsa yelped, holding the baby at arm’s length and turning him the other way; he hadn’t been expecting that at all.

Tulsa looked at the large spot on his uniform in despair. At least most of the mess got on the table this time. Problem was, the kid had also peed on the spare diapers, so now Tulsa had nothing to work with.

“Ugh, okay. Now what do I do? Diapers, diapers…I gotta get diapers.” He mumbled to himself, before he had an idea. “I…I gotta get help!”

Thinking quickly, he used the kitchen towel to try and wipe the kid clean; the baby was now crying again from being cold. Picking him up, he ran to the phone and dialed the only number he knew; the club where Lili worked at. Once Lili came to the phone, he did his best to explain the situation.

“What’s all that noise?” She asked.

“Oh, uh…that’s the baby.” Tulsa replied.

“Baby?”

“Look, I uh, I don’t wanna bother you at work Lili, but, uh, see, I’m just babysitting for a buddy that just ran away to get married. And…and I’m in trouble!”

Lili smirked. “Oh, I know. You don’t know how to change a diaper.”

Tulsa just groaned. “Yeah. There’s a huge mess everywhere, an’ I…I don’t have any spare diapers, and the kid’s cryin’ and everything, he’s goin’ nuts, and…look, I’m telling ya Lili, it’s an emergency!”

Lili nodded. “I was just leaving here, Tulsa. Tell me where you are, and I’ll meet you over at your friend’s house. I’ll see if I can pick up some more diapers on the way; I should be there in about twenty or thirty minutes.”

Tulsa sighed in relief as he told her where to go. “Uhh…yeah, that’d be great. Thank you. ACK, no, not again!” He suddenly yelped, as the baby started peeing again and quickly drenched the towel and the front of his uniform as he held onto him.

Lili couldn’t help but smile; she’d taken care of babies before. “Let me guess…he sprung a leak?”

Tulsa just sighed in defeat as he hung up the phone. He could only hope Lili would get there soon.

[gaytotaldrama]

Since you asked about prompts, while I haven’t got to World Tour in my rewatch, the thought comes to mind of a Gwortney piece where Courtney believes Gwen’s claims that was the one who Duncan kissed her rather than blaming her for “stealing” him

thanks for the prompt! hope you enjoy

also on my ao3

"Uh, I saw Duncan and Gwen kiss!"

In just a few words, Tyler Tucker had completely ruined Gwen's life. She knew she couldn't really blame him - the guy was clearly under Alejandro's crafty spell. But if he'd just stuck around for literally two seconds longer the night before, he would know the truth of what had actually gone down.

Gwen should be so lucky.

Duncan was on the ground, out cold from Cody's sucker-punch to his jaw. Gwen couldn't care. Serves him right, she thought. I told him to fess up to Courtney himself, and now the jackass has dug his grave even deeper.

As Cody and Tyler began to take flight, Gwen realized with a horrible clarity that since Duncan was out of commission, Courtney was headed straight for her. 

"I hate you!" she was screaming, flailing like some sort of enraged marionette. The only thing preventing her from tearing Gwen's face off was Sierra's  - surprisingly expert, though definitely slack - chokehold. "How could you?! I thought we were friends!"

"We are!" Gwen exclaimed, instinctually taking a few steps back. "Courtney, you have to believe me, I didn't want - "

"Oh, sure you didn't," Sierra sneered as Courtney continued to wriggle in her grasp. "You've been all over Duncan since season one! It was only a matter of time before you tried any funny business."

Gwen stamped her foot in frustration, gritting her teeth together. "I do not like Duncan! I never have! I was with Trent in season one, remember?"

But her defenses appeared to fall upon utterly deaf ears. "You," Courtney seethed, steam practically pouring out of her nostrils like a raging bull. "Are so eliminated."

"Look, if I could just - " Gwen started in a panic, but by then, Cody had already won the tie-breaker, and the wave of relief that crashed through her nearly knocked her down to her knees.

Back on the plane, things weren't pretty. Duncan was still passed out somewhere in economy - was Cody's punch really that strong, or was Duncan simply prolonging the inevitable? In any case, Gwen felt terrible. She was being looked down upon by her fellow contestants. She hadn't gotten to say (sing?) all she'd wanted Duncan to hear during their boar challenge, hadn't let him know just how pissed she really was. Not to mention that the person who was angriest with her right now was the very person Gwen wanted to - 

Whatever. Like that was gonna happen now.

And yet, she knew she had to try.

Leaving the confessional (the lock was still busted, if this show weren't so fucking cheap, if McLean wasn't such an asshole, none of this would have even - ), Gwen steeled her resolve and made her way back to first class as slowly as possible. Cody tried to catch her eye as she entered the cabin, but she steadfastly ignored him, ignored the daggers Sierra was shooting her way, too. Courtney was curled into one of the seats, sobbing uncontrollably as Heather patted her on the back. If Heather was now appreciated more than Gwen, she didn't know what she would do.

"Courtney, please," Gwen said softly upon approach. "I can explain everything to you."

"I don't want to hear it, boyfriend stealer!" Courtney screamed.

Gwen winced, shook her head. "I'm not asking for forgiveness. I just need you to listen to me. Can we go out to the cargo hold or something?"

"What, so you can go spy and make sure Duncan hasn't been eliminated?!" At this, she fell prey to a fresh bout of tears.

"If you really want to talk to Courtney, then you can say whatever it is in front of us," Heather said, crossing her arms. "And if that juvie punk gets booted, then I say Good riddance."

"Fine!" Gwen threw up her hands, exasperated. "Fine, I'll just say this here." She hated to air more of her dirty laundry on TV, but that had always been par for the course with Total Drama. "Courtney, I didn't kiss him."

"Yes you did you little - "

"Duncan kissed me," Gwen all but yelled. Her cheeks burned shamefully at the memory. "Tyler didn't see the whole thing, but I pushed Duncan off of me almost as soon as it had begun. I didn't expect it to happen. I didn't want it. And when I rejected him, he got all grouchy and left."

"Oh, yeah, like we're gonna believe that!" Sierra shouted. "You stab Courtney in the back and then can't even own up to it?! You are soooo getting voted 'Least Popular Contestant' on my blog!"

But Cody, looking at Gwen with puppy-dog eyes, asked, "You're being serious, Gwen?"

"Yes." Gwen ran her hands through her rough hair, not even caring if she pulled out any strands. "I wouldn't lie about this. Ask Chris to show you the footage." She scowled at the floor. "And if Duncan gets kicked off tonight, I'll sleep as snug as a bug in a rug."

Silence, for a moment. Heather seemed about to say something. But then - 

"Oh my God," Courtney croaked. "She's telling the truth."

If Gwen had felt relieved when they won the Greece challenge, it was nothing compared to this. "Yes," she repeated, voice breaking. "I swear to you, Courtney, I am. I'm telling the truth."

And Courtney nodded, not meeting Gwen's gaze, her eyes rimmed with red. But it was enough for Gwen to know she believed her.

The others, however, weren't so easily convinced.

"Oh, come on, you two have always been close," said Heather. "If you're not into Duncan, then I'll marry Alejandro."

"I'm not," Gwen said emphatically. "So happy trails, Heather, you two will be perfect for one another." She turned defensively to Sierra. "And I guess you're gonna tell me you totally saw this coming and there's no way I'm being genuine, right? Because since you're an expert on this show, you must know me better than I know myself, huh?" When Sierra didn't answer, Gwen knew she had her pegged. "Ugh, you guys, I am not in love with Duncan! And, sorry, Cody, I'm not into you, either." At Cody's heartbroken expression, Sierra growled at her, but Gwen kept going. "Just because you all have complicated love lives doesn't mean I have to!

"You are so obviously into Alejandro," she continued, rounding on Heather. "But you won't admit it because you're too proud to own up to the fact that there's actually a perfect guy for Heather Hamada out there, and he's just as evil as you are!" Before Heather could splutter her way through a half-baked excuse, Gwen spun to level with Sierra. "And you - if you actually took a second to care about what Cody wants, you would know that you are always overstepping his boundaries!" She contemplated raking her nails down her face, so strong was her frustration at the people around her. "I won't deny that Duncan and I have a lot in common, and I won't deny that he has some sort of feelings for me. But I don't feel the same way. I was into Trent, I'm into Courtney, but I am not and never will be into Duncan!"

Finally, she broke off, heaving, throat drier than the stupid path to the Nile had been. She'd said her piece. She was finished, and if they still decided to send her home next time the Amazons lost, then she'd just learn to live with it.

But no one seemed angry anymore. In fact, they all seemed to be experiencing variations of different emotions, none of them hatred. Sierra's eyes were blown wider than usual, her jaw slack and her fingers twitching like she was itching to blog about something. Cody looked crestfallen, and Gwen felt bad for being harsh, but it had been three seasons and the guy still couldn't deal with the fact that she was never going to date him. Heather, meanwhile, was staring at Gwen with her hand pressed over her mouth and...giggling? It felt wrong to attribute such a cutesy word to the Queen of Mean, but there was no other way to describe the sickening sounds she was making. And Courtney...

Courtney was looking at Gwen like she'd just seen a ghost - and a real one at that, not Harold's stupid soccer ball-bedsheet combo.

"You," Courtney started and swallowed hard - Gwen tried not to track the bobbing motion of her throat. "You like me."

At last, Gwen's brain caught up with her stupid mouth, and she realized what she'd just admitted. Oh, shit...

It was at least a small comfort to know that no one would be asking her about Duncan again any time soon.

[emeraldskulblaka]

Emerald Streams - Great Comet Special Edition, Part One

Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812

It's been almost five years since the Broadway production of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 played its final performance, and one year since I last streamed one of my favourite musicals!

This will be the first of three streams within the next few days; announcements to follow.

When?

Thursday, 1 September 2022

9pm CEST / 8pm BST / 3pm EDT

room open/password valid from 8.50pm

Where?

[link removed]

password: comet1

no sign-up necessary, anons welcome!

Which video?

Broadway, November 2016

Denée Benton (Natasha), Scott Stangland (s/b Pierre), Lucas Steele (Anatole), Brittain Ashford (Sonya), Grace McLean (Marya), Amber Gray (Hélène)

See you on Thursday!

[whispers-soundtrack-project]

Loki

Fanmix Part Four

Part One * Part Two * Part Three

Link to the Spotify Playlist is at the bottom of the post

Bring Me Back To Life (Ht Bristol, Charlie Bannister, Vincent Steele, & Nine One One)

I did my part, I tried my best, * The things I'm fighting to protect * Always shatter into pieces in the end

Mercury (Sleeping At Last)

No one can unring this bell * Unsound this alarm, unbreak my heart new * God knows, I am dissonance * Waiting to be swiftly pulled into tune

Razor's Edge (Digital Daggers)

I'm scared 'cause the past * Keeps pulling me back * Distorting the future * It's holding me close * It loves me the most * It's tearing the sutures

Fragile Minds (Silent Theory)

It's getting harder to know if I'm sane, * My issues are leaking outside of my veins, * Somebody save me, or end me, * I haven't yet made up my mind

Fight For Survival (Klergy)

See a smoke arising in the distance * What would be the point of your resistance? * Chaos all around you, there is nowhere left to run * Setting sun and it's done

Crossroads (Don Mclean)

You know I've heard about people like me * But I never made the connection. * They walk one road to set them free * And find they've gone the wrong direction

Who I Am Hates Who I've Been (Relient K)

I'm sorry for the person I became * I'm sorry that it took so long for me to change * I'm ready to be sure I never become that way again * 'cause who I am hates who I've been

Insomniac (Amber Run)

You, my friend * Remind me of someone that I used to know * You've got his eyes, you've got his shadow * When did you become the kind of man to dance at funerals?

Five (Sleeping At Last)

It feels like an out of body experience * But something gets lost from a safe distance * Now I can't put my mind to rest * And I can't help but second guess * Living behind this one-way mirror

How Did You Love (Shinedown)

You can have the sound of a thousand voices calling your name * You can have the light of the world blind you, bathe you in grace * But I don't see so easily what you hold in your hands * Cause castles crumble, kingdoms fall and turn into sand

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"To Investigate Message About Tim Buck Trial," Kingston Whig-Standard. June 15, 1933. Page 2. ---- Judge McLean Asks That Telegram Be Brought to Attention of Attorney-General of Ontario. --- Charging that the indictment against Convict Tim Buck for participating in the Penitentiary riots of October 17, 1932, had been "framed" and demanding that it be rescinded, a telegram from the Finnish Organization of Canada was delivered to Judge Evan McLean yesterday afternoon during the trial of Convict Hugh Burling. Judge McLean read the telegram to the Court and then instructed Crown Attorney T. J. Rigney to report the matter to Attorney General.

The telegram read as follows:

"Judge In Charge Tim Buck Trial "Care W. D. Rigney. K. C. "We, the members of the Finnish Organization of Canada, assembled in our national convention in the elty of Toronto, hereby demand the rescinding of the frame-up indictment against Tim Buck and the establish-ment of the rights of a the political prisoners. Convention Committee." Mr. Rigney delivered the telegram to the Judge, while Guard William H.Godwin was giving evidence for the Crown in the Burling case. Judge McLean halted proceedings while he read the telegram to the Court, He then said that no organization had any right to attempt to influence or intimidate any Judge and advised. Mr. Rigney to report the matter to the Attorney-General Guard Godwin Guard William Godwin was the first witness for the Crown to the case of Convict Hugh Burling when Court was resumed in the afternoon. Burling's case is the first in the large docket of twenty-seven cases that will probably come before the General Senaton of the Peace and County Court. Burling one of twenty-four convicts charged with taking part in the Penitentiary riots, a twenty-two years of age, and was sentenced at Sandwich In 1931 to five years in the Kingston Penitentiary for assault and robbery,

For the benefit of the jury Guard Godwin gave a minute description of the lay-out of the penitentiary with particular reference to the work-shops in the main dome where the not was centred. A plan was exhibited to enable the jury to gain a clear picture of the interior.

Witness said that precautionary procedure was taken by the prison authorities in preparation for the rumored riot which was to take place on the afternoon of October 17. The guards in the towers were doubled and the steel shop doors were locked. He described how the convicts assemble in the shop dome, what was saild and what was done there. Godwin said that any official sttempting to leave the dome was gently but firmly told to remain where he was. The doors were barricaded with stone bankers and condemned machinery. Inspector Smith had made an attempt to leave the building, but had been prevented from doing so.

According to Godwin, Tim Buck asked the men if they were going to give in or "fight it out". When the convicts had elected to fight it out, Buck had told them to barricade the doors and fill every available utensil with water. These orders had been carried out by the men. "Why didn't you stop these men?" asked Crown Prosecutor Col. Keiller MacKay. "It wasn't possible." "Why not?" "The men were out of control and crow-bar. I did not want to get my brains knocked out." Witness stated that he had seen Burling in the dome. He named several convicts he had seen there, among them Convict Burling. Under cross-examination by W. H. Herrington counsel for the defence, Godwin admitted that there were some men who did not leave the shops when the trouble started, and also that there were men in the dome who did not join in the shouting nor in the general milling around. He said that when Inspector Smith and he entered the dome the doors had been barricaded immediately behind them. Witness said that at all times he had felt that his life was in considerable danger.

Mr. Herrington made a strong attempt to upset Godwin's evidence that he had seen Burling in the dome. He quoted the testimony given at the preliminary hearing and pointed out that Convict Burling had not been mentioned then. Godwin stoutly maintained that when he saw Burling in the Court he remembered that the Inter had been one of the men taking an active part in the demonstration. He also maintained that the only person with whom he had talked over the convict trials had been the Crown Prosecutor, Col McKay. He said when he saw Burling yesterday he remembered that the accused had been carrying a load of mall-bags to barricade the doors of the mail-bag department. Guard Robinson Guard Harold Robinson testified that Burling, who had been working in the change-room, had stopped working and joined the other men when the riot started. He also said that he had seen Burling later in the afternoon carrying a crow-bar. Robinson testified that in the dome the men were shouting rushing around and carrying crow-bars, hammers, pieces of street and other weapons.

Judge McLean made an appeal to both counsel to try to reach some agreement whereby unnecessary evidence would be curtailed thus saving time of the Court. Counsel were granted a brief recess to arrive at a decision, but no announcement was made of the result when the trial was resumed.

Witness testified that some of the convicts were armed with clubs and that the mob was making a terrific noise. He said that a large number of the men had joined in breaking down the shop-doors.

Counsel questioned witness regarding a meeting at the Warden's house - at which a number of prison officials were alleged to have talked about the trials. Robinson claimed that nothing had been said about giving evidence except that the truth was to be told. "The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth"? asked Mr. Herrington.

"Yes" "Of course, you realize that you must not suppress any evidence even is helpful to the accused?" "Yes." "You weren't told to at the meeting to suppress any evidence that might be of assistance to Burling?" "No, nothing was said about the matter at all." Only Armed Convict "What makes you remember so perfectly that you saw Burling carrying an iron-bar? Is there a something about his face that impresses you?"

"No. I remember his because he was the only armed convict among numerous convicts at the time that I saw him."

Robinson said that he saw Burling rush into the change-room with a crow-bar. "Why didn't you follow him?" "I thought there might be trouble?" "Were you afraid?" "No, I was not."

"You to the Crown that, you went into the paint-house to see what was going on, but if you saw Burling rush into the change-room with a crow-bar don't you think that was the logical place to go If you wanted to view a spectacle?"

"I didn't think it was wise to do so." "You are certain that you know Burling?" "Sure," Witness looked at Burling and the two exchanged smiles.

"Can you name any convicts who were barricading the door?" "No." "Can you name any of the convicts that were in the dome?" "Yes, There was Buck, Behan, Parkes, and Garceau, among others." "Did you see Burling there?" "No." "You know the rules of the Penitentiary, of course?" "Yes." "You know that the convicts are supposed to obey the guards and do as they are told?" "Yes." "Well, when the riot first started did you hear any guards tell the convicts to go back to work?" "There was no time to do that." "Did you make an effort to re-strain the men?" "I did not have enough time for that, I was in the change-room and the men rushed away from me before I could say a word.

"Convict Curry was the only man to stay behind and he asked what he should do, I told him that he had better stick around."

"Did he?" "I believe he did." Court was then adjourned until this morning.

[aman3872kapoor]

Guide to Buying Shipping Containers for Sale

Guide to Buying Shipping Containers for Sale

Guide to Shipping Containers

Shipping containers have revolutionized the way goods are transported across the world. These large metal boxes, which come in standard sizes, have made it easier and more cost-effective to move goods by sea, land, and air. In this article, we will take a closer look at shipping containers, their history, uses, and the impact they have had on global trade.

History of Shipping Containers

The history of shipping containers dates back to the early 20th century when the need for more efficient ways to transport goods across long distances was increasing. In 1955, the first standardized shipping container was introduced by an American trucking entrepreneur named Malcolm McLean. McLean was looking for ways to reduce the time and cost of loading and unloading cargo from ships, and he realized that using containers that could be loaded directly onto ships could be the answer.

McLean's idea was initially met with skepticism, but he persevered and established a company called Sea-Land Service to develop and promote the use of standardized containers. By the 1960s, containerization had become a widely accepted practice in the shipping industry, and it has since become the most common method of moving goods around the world.

Uses of Shipping Containers

Shipping containers have a wide range of uses beyond just transporting goods. One of the most popular uses is for housing. The sturdy metal construction and modular design of shipping containers make them ideal for creating affordable and sustainable homes. Architects and builders have been using shipping containers to create everything from single-family homes to multi-unit apartment buildings and even office spaces.

Another popular use for shipping containers is for storage. Shipping containers are weather-resistant and secure, making them a great option for storing items such as tools, equipment, and vehicles. They are also commonly used for temporary storage during construction projects or as a portable storage unit for businesses.

Shipping containers are also used for pop-up shops and restaurants. The modular design of shipping containers allows them to be easily transported and set up in various locations. This makes them a popular option for businesses that want to create a unique and mobile storefront.

Impact of Shipping Containers on Global Trade

The use of shipping containers has had a significant impact on global trade. Prior to the introduction of containerization, goods were transported in a variety of ways, including loose in the hold of a ship, in sacks or boxes, or on pallets. This made loading and unloading slow and labor-intensive, and it often resulted in damage to the cargo.

With the introduction of standardized shipping containers, loading and unloading became much faster and more efficient. The containers could be easily moved from ship to truck to train without the need for unpacking and repacking. This reduced the time and cost of transporting goods, making it possible to move larger volumes of cargo at a lower cost.

Shipping Containers are the cargo containers that allow goods to be stored for transport in trucks, trains and boats, making intermodal transport possible.  They are typically used to transport heavy materials or palletized goods.  Shipping Containers are used to protect transported cargo from shock and bad weather conditions, as well as keep storage products intact. They were first used in the 1950s and were initially developed for the purpose of commercial shipping.

Shipping containers are also referred to as, ISO container, conex box, railroad container, intermodal container and certain truck trailers. This industry term refers to the International Standards Organization (ISO), the largest developer of international standards and the organization that developed the standard dimension specifications for steel shipping containers used worldwide.

The design of the ISO standard containers allows for intermodal shipping, which is the movement of containers from one mode of transport to another, like ship, rail, or truck, without the need of having to load and unload, and reload its contents.

Shipping Containers are used to protect transported cargo from shock and bad weather conditions, as well as keep storage products intact. They were first used in the 1950s and were initially developed for the purpose of commercial shipping container transport.

Depending on the type of product that is going to be sent, the Shipping Container can vary in dimension, structure, material, etc. Characteristics of these shipping containers were later standardized, something that expedited transport without the need to load and unload the merchandise along the way.

Buying a Shipping Container for Sale

Purchasing shipping containers is a popular option for individuals and businesses alike. These sturdy metal boxes are designed for transporting goods by sea or land and are well-known for their durability, resistance to the elements, and security features.

One of the most significant advantages of buying shipping containers is their versatility. They can be used for a wide range of purposes, from storage sheds and workshops to temporary offices and living spaces. Many people also opt to convert shipping containers into tiny homes or vacation homes, taking advantage of their modular design and portability.

When considering purchasing a shipping container, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, it's essential to think about the size of the container you'll need. Shipping containers come in a variety of sizes, with the most common being 10 feet, 20 feet, and 40 feet. Consider the purpose of the container and the amount of space you'll need to ensure that you choose the right size.

It's also crucial to think about the condition of the container. Used shipping containers are widely available and can be purchased at a lower price than new containers. However, it's essential to inspect the container thoroughly before buying to ensure that it's in good condition and free of any damage that could compromise its structural integrity.

Another factor to consider is the location of the container. If you plan to use the container for storage on your property, you'll need to make sure that you have enough space to accommodate it. Additionally, if you're planning to transport the container, you'll need to arrange for transportation and make sure that you have the necessary permits and approvals.

There are different types of Shipping Containers for different types of transportation:

Common Types of Shipping Containers

Shipping Containers are another name for the conex boxes most used on the market.  Shipping Containers are typically suitable for any type of dry cargo: pallets, boxes, bags, machines, furniture, etc.

Shipping containers come in different types and sizes, each designed for specific purposes. The most common types are:

Dry Containers: These are standard containers that are used to transport dry goods such as electronics, clothing, and furniture.

Reefer Containers: These are insulated containers that are used to transport perishable goods such as fruits, vegetables, and pharmaceuticals. They have built-in refrigeration units that keep the cargo at a specific temperature.

Flat Rack Containers: These containers are used to transport oversized cargo such as machinery, vehicles, and construction materials. They have collapsible sides that make loading and unloading easier.

Open Top Containers: These containers are designed to transport goods that are too tall to fit in a standard container. They have a removable roof that allows for top loading.

Tank Containers: These are used to transport liquids and gases such as chemicals, fuels, and food products. They are built with a cylindrical shape and are often used for hazardous materials.

Dry Storage Shipping Containers are your typical standard shipping containers.  Basic construction is made of steel, and hermetically sealed, without cooling or ventilation.  Sizes typically come in 20 ‘, 40’ or 40 ‘High Cube.  The High Cube category facilitates an increase of 13% of the internal cubic capacity and can handle the heaviest loads (coal, tobacco, etc.)

Refrigerated Shipping Container

Reefer Shipping Containers provide a temperature controlled environment. They have a power supply that connects to energy sources during transport. This allows the products to be transported at a constant temperature throughout the journey. They have the possibility to lower temperature from -18 ° to 30 °.  There are 20 and 40 foot models, in addition to the High Cube.

This type of Shipping Container is especially recommended for transporting food or products that need a low storage temperature.

Open Top Shipping Container

Open Top Shipping Container have the same measurements as the standard containers, but are open at the top because they have a removable canvas roof.  These containers facilitate the transport of bulky loads.

Flat Rack Shipping Container

Flat Rack Shipping Containers are like the Open Top, but also lack side walls and even, in some cases, front and rear walls. They are used for atypical loads and pay supplements in the same way as Open Top.

Open Side Shipping Container

Open Side Shipping Containers have the same measurements as standard containers; 20 or 40 feet, with the difference that they have a side opening. This allows for transporting very long merchandise, whose dimensions prevent it from being loaded by the back door.

Tank Shipping Container

Tank Shipping Containers are used for the liquid transport and made to carry dangerous as toxic, corrosive, highly combustible chemicals, as well as oil, milk, beers, wine, mineral water, etc. They have the same dimensions as a Dry Shipping Containers, but their structure is different, as they include a polyethylene tank inside.

Ventilated Shipping Containers

Ventilated Shipping Containers are made for transporting products such as coffee or cocoa beans, which must be ventilated in transit; sometimes these units are called “coffee containers”.

Shipping Container Dimensions

Shipping containers come in a range of sizes, each with its own standard dimensions. These metal boxes are commonly used for the transportation of goods across oceans and continents, making them an essential part of the global economy.

The most common shipping container sizes are 10 feet, 20 feet, and 40 feet in length. Standard shipping container widths are 8 feet, and the height is typically 8 feet 6 inches. These dimensions are set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which is responsible for the development of international standards.

The 10-foot shipping container is the smallest and least commonly used container size. This size is ideal for those in need of a small storage unit, and it can be easily transported via truck or train.

The 20-foot shipping container is the most commonly used container size, and it is suitable for various purposes such as storage or transportation of goods. This size is easy to transport, and it can hold a significant amount of cargo.

The 40-foot shipping container is the largest and most spacious container size available. It is ideal for shipping large volumes of goods or for use as a storage unit for oversized equipment or machinery.

In addition to the standard sizes mentioned above, there are other non-standard shipping container sizes available. These containers are typically custom-made to suit specific requirements, and they can be used for various purposes such as pop-up shops or mobile offices.

It is important to note that shipping container dimensions may vary slightly depending on the manufacturer. Therefore, it is crucial to confirm the container's exact dimensions before making any purchase or transportation arrangements.

Shipping Container Door Diagram and Troubleshooting

Now we are going to run through the essential parts of a shipping container.

For a door to work, you need hinges. Pins hold the shipping container's hinges together through a barrel.  In certain cases when doors are difficult to open, hinge pins and blades may be seized due to corrosion.  Each door is fitted with 2 to 4 vertical lock rods to enable opening, closing and locking of the doors.

The door handle rotates the lockbar to initiate the door opening process by forcing the cams out of their keepers. Each door handle has a door locking handle retainer that slides over the door handle when in locked position.

At the end of each lock rod is a cam welded in place which engages with knuckles, also known as cam keepers. The action of engaging the cams to the keepers forms an anti-racking function.  In certain cases, often unfortunately too many, contents of the shipping container may have shifted causing shipping container doors and lockrods to warp. 

When opening a shipping container, start with the right hand door first. Swivel the handles, engage the cams and keepers, and twist both door handles.  Closing the doors is just a reverse of this process.

The lock box is a steel box welded to the right hand door which overlaps a staple welded to the left hand door. A padlock, normally CISA type 285 66 can then be attached inside the lock box through the staple and is then protected from direct attack, hindering attempts to gain entry to the container.

ISO markings and a consolidated data plate allow worldwide intermodal transport and are updated as necessary. Take note that customs authorities in some countries may also have their own container seal regulations as part of their national security.

Rubber gaskets are fitted to the container doors during the manufacturing process and prevent water ingress. Door gaskets are designed to present two or more fins against the structure or adjacent door. These are generally flexible but when the gasket is damaged, they may become stiff thus jamming the door closed, or preventing it from being closed.

Doors

Two door leaves are fabricated from two vertical rolled hollow sections and 2 horizontal c section members. The frame is infilled with corrugated steel paneling.

These are normally attached to the rear corner posts each with four drop forged steel hinge blades. The blades allow 270 degree opening which allow the doors to swing back against the container side wall.

(Cargo may shift during transit. Look at the container to make sure that the doors are aligned and level, both top and bottom.  In cases where the container frame is racked and the door gear will not operate correctly.)

Lockbox

The lock box is a steel box welded to the right hand door which overlaps a staple welded to the left hand door. A padlock, normally type CISA type 285 66 can then be attached inside the lock box through the staple and is then protected from direct attack, hindering attempts to gain entry to the container.

Lockrods, cam keepers, handles

Each door is fitted with 2-4 vertical lock rods to enable opening, closing and locking of the doors.

At the end of each lock rod (top and bottom) is a cam welded in place which engages with knuckles, also known as cam keepers.

The action of engaging the cams to the keepers forms an anti-racking function.

(In certain cases, often unfortunately too many, contents of the shipping container may have shifted, or containers even dropped, causing shipping container doors and lockrods to warp)

The door handle rotates the lockbar to initiates the door opening process by forcing the cams out of their keepers.  Each door handle has a door locking handle retainer that slides over the door handle when in locked position.

Rubber gaskets

Rubber gaskets are fitted to the container doors during the manufacturing process and prevent water ingress.

(Door gaskets are designed to present two or more fins against the structure or adjacent door. These are generally flexible but when the gasket is damaged, they may become hard or blocked thus jamming the door closed, or preventing it being closed.)

ISO markings and CSC plate

ISO markings and a consolidated data plate allow worldwide intermodal transport when left in place and updated as necessary.

Hinge pins

Of course for a door to work, you need hinges.

(In certain cases when doors are difficult to open, hinge pins and blade are seized due to corrosion.)

Choosing the Right Company for Buying a Shipping Container

When doing research in finding the right Shipping Container, follow some of these tips:

Research Online

Choose which companies have a good track record of excellence and reputation.  Read reviews and what other customers have to say.

Check for Availability

If you are shipping from various locations, check for availability if containers can be delivered to your required areas.

Check for Best Pricing

If money matters, you can find used container resellers online that might be able to offer half the price on used containers.

Check for Good Customer Service

If you plan to order often, you might want to check for good customer service.  Ask potential container companies a question through email or their online customer service. See how fast they respond.

Check for Warranty

Check with companies to see if they offer any warranties or buy back or trade in plans.

There are millions of Shipping Containers in use around the world, and a lucky few get a second life as repurposed shipping container structures. While they look a bit plain and boxy to the untrained eye, shipping containers play a critical role in our lives, whether embarking on ocean crossings to deliver the goods we use every day or venturing into a second life as a container structure.

Here are Some Fascinating Facts about Shipping Containers

Shipping Containers can be safely stacked nine-high.

Well-maintained Shipping Containers hold 759, of their original value for 25+ years.

There are over 37 million Shipping Containers in use around the world.

A Shipping Container floor can hold up 55,000 lb. of goods without warping.

Shipping Container flooring is made of 1-1/8” marine grade plywood.

Most Shipping Containers are 20 feet or 40-feet long.

Shipping Containers are made of 16-gauge corten steel.

Common container modifications include: personnel doors, windows flooring, shelving, work stations, insulation, climate control & even restrooms.

Fun Ways to Use Shipping Containers

Shipping Containers are not just used for cargo these days. There are many innovative and imaginative uses you may like to consider.

Here are few ideas of how shipping containers have been used for modern, cost effective buildings.

Homes

The trend to build cost-effective homes from recycled shipping containers started in USA and has reached Australia.

Art Galleries

Architect, Tomokaza Hayakawa designed an art gallery in Japan using two shipping containers stacked on each other.

Drive-Thru Coffee

Starbucks in Washington have used four old shipping containers to create an architect designed drive-thru store.

Cafes

A cafe in Footscray (Melbourne) called Rudimentary has been built using three 40-foot shipping containers.

Polar Stations

India has built a Polar Station in Antarctica using 134 shipping containers. They cover three floors and are well insulated for the weather conditions.

A well-maintained Shipping Container can hold 75% of their original value for 25+ years. Every day, container ships transport goods all over the world on the international seas.

Shipping Container Opening and Closing Tool

Shipping containers often take a beating, traveling around the world, being exposed to freezing conditions and rust due to seawater or when the frost has melted.

During the cold season, and in freezing parts of the world, our shipping container tool can benefit the opening and closing of frozen shipping container doors and hard to open or rusted containers.

Injuries often occur as a result of personnel trying to open and close difficult container doors, and often are the result of inappropriate techniques being used to open them.

To aid in opening and closing shipping container doors, we introduce OPNBar.

A Shipping Container (also known as Intermodal Container, ISO Container,Railroad Container, and certain Truck Trailers)  is a large standardized shipping container, designed and built for intermodal freight transport.   Shipping Containers can be used across different modes of transport.  They can go from ship to rail to truck, without unloading and reloading their cargo.

The metal doors on the shipping containers on these containers are standardized.  Shipping Containers use the same type and style of doors and locking bars, which our tool can be used.

Lengths are as follows: 20′, 40′, 45′, 48′, 50′, 53′. All these containers are globally used to transport cargo. The 53′ length is now, the new the standard length.

Here are some likely reasons a Shipping Container door will not open or close.  Visit https://www.shippingcontainertool.com/what-is-a-shipping-container/ to find out how to overcome some of these issues.

Doors and lockrods may warp or container frame is racked so that the door gear will not operate correctly. This may be caused by cargo shifting during transit. Look at the container to make sure that the doors are aligned and level, both top and bottom.

The hinge pins and blade are seized due to corrosion.

The door gasket has been damaged and is preventing opening. Door gaskets are designed to present two or more fins against the structure or adjacent door. These are generally flexible but when the gasket is damaged, they may become hard or blocked thus jamming the door closed, or preventing it being closed.

Water has become trapped between frozen shipping container doors, particularly relevant to refrigerated cargoes, or containers with moisture releasing cargoes in cold weather.